1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to components that are intended to fit a portion of the body for the purpose of increasing the comfort of that portion of the body or for carrying out a prosthetic function, such as supporting or holding organs that have been displaced by accident and substituted by artificial mechanisms. The present invention relates to such components that can be thermoformed on the body or on a rigid thermoforming structure. The present invention also relates to such components that can be used as footwear designed to ensure a calculated support of the foot and to be worn within a generally rigid shoe.
2. Description of Related Art
Known slippers to be made to fit the foot of the user. If necessary, such slippers can undergo a second thermoforming in a rigid shell formed by the shoe into which the slipper is inserted.
French Patent No. 94.10939 describes a slipper that consists of a part designed to receive the foot and a part that is roughly tubular so as to surround the bottom of the leg. This slipper also contains flaps. This slipper is made of a comfortable material between the foot and the shoe so that it conforms to the foot of the user. In this prior art patent, this comfortable material is made of a thermoplastic and/or thermoformable material that is made malleable by heating.
International Patent Application No. WO 94/09663 also describes a slipper of the same type. This slipper is made of a single piece with an axial seam. The slipper is equipped, at the joint of the ankle and the tibia, with flaps that fold onto each other. This slipper is also made of a thermoformable material that is able to be formed at a temperature that the user can tolerate. The technique of this item of prior art makes it possible to obtain a formable shape which allows for the adjustment of the foot in the shoe in order to obtain precise positioning of objects fixed to the shoe, such as a ski.
When in use, these known slippers are not properly designed. In particular, notably in the case of ski boots, the internal dimensions of the rigid shell are such that it is as close as possible to shape of the foot. It is necessary that the slipper conforms both the form of the foot and to that of the shell and that both a correct tightening of the ankle/tibia joint be obtained. Another problem of the slippers of the prior art is that are made of a single piece (as described in International Patent Application No. WO 94/09663) or of two pieces (as described in French Patent No. 2 724 295). If they obtain a proper tightening around the ankle-tibia joint, there is little space for the foot. As a result, the foot is not able to spread out properly. In addition, the covering of the instep or the portion in front of the ankle-tibia articulation zone is done with overlapping flaps. This creates an excessive thickness that generates a pressure on the foot. As a result, the shoe will fit uncomfortably.
The examples of the problems of the prior art in the field of making the slippers are common to all scenarios involving the use of thermoformable materials utilized in prosthetic applications.
The present invention is intended to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by creating a slipper having waterproof seams and which allows a proper tightening of the foot within the shoe while also allowing a spreading of the foot and a tightening in the area of the joint of the ankles and the tibia. The present invention creates a prosthetic or comfortable component for the body made of several assembled parts which are waterproof at the junctions of the parts. These parts do not have excessive thickness at these junctions. The parts have different thicknesses or densities.
The present invention is a component designed to fit a portion of the body for the purpose of increasing the comfort of that portion of the body or for carrying out a prosthetic function of supporting or holding organs that have been replaced by artificial mechanisms. This component can be thermoformed on the body or in a shell that contains the component. The component is made from materials of cut sheets which are thermoformable at a temperature suitable to the body. The component is characterized in that it is made of at least two cut and assembled parts. The sheets that form the thermoformable material of the first and second parts have different thicknesses or different densities.
The parts of the component of the present invention are assembled by gluing, bonding or sewing. The parts are joined in edge-to-edge relationship to each other. The edge of the part having the greater thickness is fitted to adjust the thickness of the part of lesser thickness.
The first part surrounds the foot so as to be closed under the sole of the foot. The second part surrounds the ankle and is mounted to the first part. The first part has a lesser thickness than the second part.